A pilot’s TikTok video explaining why passengers must use airplane mode has gone viral, amassing over 2 million views. In the video, the pilot, known as @perchpoint, clarifies that airplane mode isn’t a myth. “The airplane mode button on your phone is not a conspiracy,” said the pilot in the footage. He explains that multiple phones attempting to connect to cell towers during flight can interfere with the pilots’ radio communications with air traffic control.
The ‘Big Why Airplane’ Mode Reason
He adds that if several passengers’ phones try to connect to cell towers simultaneously, the resulting radio waves can create interference. He likened the interference to a “mosquito” or “wasp” buzzing in his headset, making it difficult to clearly hear instructions from air traffic control. While not a catastrophic issue, the interference is certainly distracting when pilots are trying to receive crucial information. “If you have an aircraft with 70, 80, 150 people on board, and even three or four people’s phones start to try to make a connection to a radio tower for an incoming phone call, it sends out radio waves,” the captain explained. “There’s the potential that those radio waves can interfere with the radio waves of the headset that the pilots are using.”
The pilot recounted a recent experience where this interference made it difficult to receive clearance for his flight path. This interference occurs because the phones emit radio waves that can disrupt the radio waves used by the pilots’ headsets. Recalling the recent flight where he was using his headset to get “clearance on which way to go” and the message interference made it feel like there was a “mosquito” in his ear.
The video emphasizes that switching to airplane mode is not just a suggestion, but a requirement. US federal regulations explicitly prohibit the use of cellular telephones on airborne aircraft, mandating that all phones be turned off once the plane leaves the ground.
What DGCA Guidelines say on Airplane Mode in India
In fact, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines in India require that passengers switch their phones to Airplane Mode while flying. According to the DGCA regulations, all portable electronic devices (PEDs) like mobile phones, tablets, and laptops must be used in “non-transmitting mode” (commonly known as airplane mode) during flights, meaning cellular signals must be disabled while on board an aircraft; however, some airlines may allow Wi-Fi usage depending on the aircraft’s capability and DGCA approval.